ACA launch NSW member forum

4 July, 2019

“Discussing the challenges and opportunities in Australian cricket.”

That is on the agenda when the Australian Cricketers’ Association host an exclusive forum for NSW/ACT based members at the start of August.

The forum is a pilot-event for ACA members and is likely to be rolled-out across the country in the coming months.

Leading the various discussion topics are a range of current and past players including NSW and former Australian spearhead Sarah Aley, and former Australian batter Simon Katich.

Aley has been playing elite level cricket for well-over a decade and said the ACA continues to provide the players with a voice.

“It’s great that the ACA host a forum like this and I am really excited by the opportunity to share my thoughts with many of the past players.

“So many past players are still involved in the game, even at local level, because they love cricket and want to make it the best it can be.

“The ACA has always given us a voice and I’m looking forward to sharing our thoughts on how to improve the whole game.”

Since playing his final game of domestic cricket in Australia only five years ago, Simon Katich has become one of the most successful coaches on the domestic 20-over circuit.

“Cricket looks a lot different now than it did 10 or 20 years ago, but many of the fundamentals still remain, in terms of what makes great players and great teams a success,” Katich said.

“I have seen it from a global T20 perspective and I think the Australian system has the potential to get back to being world leaders in many aspects of the game.

“But that doesn’t happen by chance.

“It evolves from great ideas, challenging one another, and making sure we have the difficult conversations to get the best outcomes.”

Katich and Aley will be joined by a number of other key ACA members to discuss a broad range of topics; Katich leading the focus area of ‘domestic cricket.’

“One of the things that I think many people agree is that a strong domestic competition leads to a strong national team,” he said.

One of the things that I think many people agree is that a strong domestic competition leads to a strong national team.

Simon Katich

“We want states vying for state titles across all formats. Because from that we will produce players ready for the challenges of international cricket.

“There will be a lot of ideas on how we can achieve this and I hope to hear many of those on the night.”

The ACA’s General Manager Member Programs Clea Smith described the event as a great opportunity to seek feedback from members.

“The ACA has a really passionate membership base who have been very supportive of our role in the game for the past 20 years,” Smith said.

“We receive great feedback on the various programs and services we offer, and we hope this forum will generate some great insight in to a range of larger topics impacting the whole-of-game.

“We intend on rolling this out across the country so we can engage all of our member groups.”

The forum will be held at the SCG on the 1 August 2019 as a lead-in to the first ball of the first men’s Ashes Test in the UK, and is open to all ACA members based in NSW and the ACT.

Confirmed presenters include: Sarah Aley, Simon Katich, Jenny Wallace, Trent Copeland, Michelle Goszko, Phil Emery, Neil Maxwell, Phil Jaques, Rick McCosker, Greg Dyer, Rina Hore

Members who want more information are asked to contact the ACA on 03 9698 7207.

© Australian Cricket Players Limited
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
The Australian Cricketers’ Association acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders both past and present.